From a Raptors View
by 99godzilla195
Summary: Shortleg is young male Velociraptor with a disabled leg. He was born with one leg smaller the other. This is his story. Rate Review Takes place after Lost World read my other stories review review


Chapter 1

I hobbled forward, squealing in shock as my brother cannoned into me. Tumbling head over tail I fell down the slope.

"Oof!" I grunted as I crashed into a bush. Ripjaw laughed. I growled as I stalked back up, my shorter leg causing me to have a lopsided stalk. I lunged at him, grabbing his side and making him fall over. Just then, our Mother reached down and closed her jaws on my scruff and pulled me and him apart. Setting me down, she tilted her mottled gray head.

"Shortclaw, you should know better than to fight with your brother," she reprimanded me. I glared at my older brother as he fell over snickering, but yelped when Mother gave him a cuff over the head, and it was my turn to snicker. I turned as bushes rustled. My older sister Scale and the two warriors Clawface and Stumptail padded into the clearing. Their 5 inch claws gleamed in the light. They had prey, a dead baby Triceratops. Me and my brother ran forward to greet them, me hobbling just a little behind. Ripjaw reached them first and begged for food. Mother came over and picked me up, ignoring my squeals of protest. She set me down and Stumptail nuzzled me. I sighed. I hated my smaller leg. Velociraptors can't afford to have a weakness. We were the fastest dinosaurs on the planet. Hunters, killers. Not weaklings, packs that have a disabled chick. I curled my lip. I turned as more bushes rustled and Droneclaw stepped out, with our leader and my Father, Kingkiller. He got his name from when he was young he took on a full grown bull Trex on his own and defeated it. We still have its skull. I am so proud of my Dad. He's the best! When I'm older, we'll go hunting and fight together. The only problem, again is my cursed leg. I was born like this. My one leg is perfect and works great, just like it should. Yet the other is an inch or so shorter so I have to sort of hobblehop around. It is so annoying. Ripjaw is older than me, and teases me constantly. He is a year old and is a perfect raptor. He and Dad are going to be going out on his first hunting test. I was jealous. Mothers voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Did you hear Stumptail?" I turned, surprised to see him holding a chunk of meat. I glanced down.

"Sorry, I was thinking." I murmured. Stumptail snorted and ruffled and head with his claws. He dropped the meat in front of me and I dug in. Ripjaw got a larger piece, but I knew that was because he was older. Yet I still got a lot, because I wanted to be strong and learn how to use my disability as a strength. Stumptail had promised he would help me. His tail had earned him his name, after being attacked by a dilophosaurus and had to chew his tail off. I finished eating and looked around the clearing for something to do. I spotted a stick and started to lopsidedly stalk it, but a foot pinned my tail down. I turned to see Dad staring down at me, his crestfeathers ruffling in amusement.

"Going somewhere?" he asked. I nodded, looking back at my stick.

"I'm going to hunt!" I replied. He snorted and leaned over, picking me up. I hissed in anger and squirmed.

"I have two legs you know!" I snarled. Ripjaw snickered.

"More like one and a half." I growled and leaped at him, tussling with him. Of course, we were separated. Dad cuffed Ripjaw. He glared at his son.

"Be nicer to your brother." he snarled. Ripjaw growled and stalked back to the nest. Mother beckoned me and I ran to her, curling up by her side. Yawning, I thought how I was going to be an amazing hunter and fighter. I was going to be just like Dad.

The next morning, I woke early, to find the rest of the pack asleep still. I glanced at my brother, who was sprawled on his back asleep. I scrambled at bit clumsily out of the nest. Walking over to the edge of the clearing, I poked my head out of the bushes. We were not supposed to be outside the nest until we were a year old. As I looked around, I realized I was not the only one up. Dad and Clawface were speaking quietly in small growls. I couldn't help but overhear.

"Should we up the patrols in the south border?" asked Clawface. Dad nodded, flexing his claws. I quietly stepped back but a twig snapped and I froze as Dad and Clawface spun around stiffening and claws raised. Dad glanced towards the bushes I was hiding in, but I had gone completely still, hoping he wouldn't see me. But, I forgot about his smell. He sniffed and his eyes flashed and he stalked over and lifted me out by my tail. I squealed and stuggled. He put me down and nudged me towards the nest.

"Go back to sleep." Dad said. I sighed and curled up again.

Yawning, I stretched the next morning. Mother nuzzled me and I purred. Scale and Stumptail headed out with Dad to start Ripjaws training. He flipped his tail and stuck his toughe out at me. I hissed and stalked away. I tried to drown out the sound of their departure. Ripjaw was lucky. Curling my lip I turned to Droneclaw.

"Why cant I go with them?" I begged. Droneclaw flicked his tail.

"Your too young, you know that," he said. I growled. I wasn't that small. I was already up to Dads knee. But I knew the real reason why. My cursed leg. Dad and Mom were too afraid I wouldn't survive with my leg. I had heard them talking at night when they thought I was asleep. Sighing, I nudged Droneclaw.

"Play with me? I'm bored." I asked. He snorted and nudged me.

"Sure, I have an idea to help you with hunting with that leg." he answered. My hopes soared. I might be able to hunt! I followed Droneclaw to the other side of the clearing, behind a screen of ferns. He crouched down.

"Now, go into the position that you use when you hunt for now." he ordered. Immidiatly, I crouched, shifting my weight a little to compensate the shortness of my leg.

"Now stalk," Droneclaw said. I crept forward, hopping a bit on the smaller leg. Droneclaw nodded.

"I see the problem." he said. I looked up.

"What?" He nosed my leg.

"Your tilting, because of this leg. It needs to be balanced better. If you use your hands to crawl forward, it may balance out because your arm will be supporting you." he explained. I tilted my head. That made sense. I crouched again, holding my arm on the ground. Suprisingly, it helped. I didn't feel crooked. I crept forward. It felt a little strange, but it worked.

"Wow!" I exclaimed. It was really great. Now, I could do hunting and fighting with the pack, and survive! I might even get better than Ripjaw! I practiced stalking the rest of the morning. The sun was high overhead when Dad and Ripjaw and the others returned. Ripjaw had something in his jaws. I narrowed my eyes. It was a compsgonathus. I ran forwards hissing.

"Nice catch!" I exclaimed. Ripjaw nodded.

"I caught it by surprise near the stream," he boasted. Dad purred and nuzzled him.

"You're going to be a great hunter." he purred. That night we celebrated, Scale and Stumptail went out and caught more prey. To my surprise, Ripjaw shared his catch with me, earning purrs of approval. I chomped in happily. Once we were done, we celebrated. Stumptail and Scale tossed the skull for me to chase. I pounced, spun and stalked. I showed everyone the skill that Droneclaw had taught me and we were both praised. Even Ripjaw seemed impressed. I narrowed my eyes. He didn't seem as bitter as he did this morning, in fact, it was like he was a totally new raptor. I was pleased and a little wary. The constant teasing mocking glow in his eyes was much diminished. He wasn't as loud and outgoing as before, and he never even critized my pouncing like he used too. I flicked my tail. No matter. Immidiatly, I lunged and caught the skull as it was tossed high in the air by Scale. I brought it down and pinned it with my lame foot. I barked in triumph, earning purrs of approval from my family. Ripjaw yawned. Flicking his tail, he headed for our nest and, calling good night, curled up and fell asleep. I was amazed. I was staying up later than him!

"Mother, why do younglings always go to bed early?" I asked. Mother purred.

"So that they can wake up strong and healthy tomorrow." she answered. I considered that. I would wake up strong and healthy tommrow too. I pounced on her tail, worrying it like a rat and Mother hissed, lifting her tail and me.

"Looks like I've found a good meal for today." Mother said, baring her teeth. I squealed and wiggled as Mother set me down in front of her. I ran and hid behind Dad. He snorted and grabbed my tail and lifted me up over the grass and onto his back, where he stood up and carried me back to Mother.

"Your freshkill, baby raptor, fresh just like the way you like it." he said, tipping me off his shoulder. I yelped as I tumbled to the ground and Mother purred, grabbing me and carrying me to our nest.

"No, I'm not going to be your meal, I'm going to eat you instead!" I squawked. Mother growled as she set me down.

"Hush now, and go to sleep. Its late." she murmured.


End file.
